I chose the title “Campaigning as the Nobody” not because I doubt my leadership but because it captures a truth. I am someone with no political pedigree and no insider connections. From that vantage point, I have become even more certain that Michigan, perhaps now more than ever.. needs true representation rooted in the everyday experiences of working families and the communities we live in. In District 66, Republicans act as though they have the seat locked in permanently. They assume a Democrat cannot win here, so they feel no pressure to deliver real results for the people. At the same time, the state Democratic establishment has been slow to lend resources, viewing this district as too red to be worth the fight. That leaves our communities caught in a political no man’s land, ignored by those in power and underestimated by those who could be allies. I am running to change that dynamic. I believe every district, no matter how it leans, deserves to have a real choice and a representative who works for the people who live there.
The people of the district and throughout the State, whether lower, middle, or even upper middle class, are all feeling the squeeze. Families are not just paying the rising costs, they are being priced out of stability as the quality of goods and services slips away. In Michigan, renters must now earn over twenty four dollars an hour to afford a modest two bedroom apartment at fair market rent, which is about one thousand two hundred and seventy two dollars a month. The state minimum wage is only twelve dollars and forty eight cents an hour, meaning many people must work nearly two full time jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. Back to school shopping has become a financial stress test for parents, with paper costs up over one hundred percent, electronics up seventy percent, and even backpacks and clothing seeing increases of more than fifty percent. Nearly four out of ten Michigan parents say they cannot afford basic school supplies, and more than half are cutting back on essentials just to keep their kids equipped. Meanwhile the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index has dropped twelve percent since February, signaling deep worry about inflation, unemployment, and shrinking paychecks. Wages in the Detroit metro area grew only three and a half percent last year, which does little to offset the relentless increase in living costs.
This campaign is not just about the cost of living, it is about power and policy. The national political agenda threatens everything from healthcare to the very framework of our democracy. Project 2025 has been enacted. The Big Beautiful Bill aims to consolidate federal power, strip away reproductive rights, weaken public education, undermine environmental protections, and diminish independent oversight. The so called “Big Beautiful Bill” that Republicans are pushing would remove healthcare from more than two hundred thousand Michiganders while delivering the largest corporate tax break in American history. We cannot wait until these policies are fully in place to start fighting back. We must vote now and begin protecting Michiganders from the effects of the Big Beautiful Bill before it is too late. Our current Republican leaders are simply falling in line with Donald Trump’s agenda instead of standing up for the people they represent. This is why down-ballot races like mine matter so much. Every seat we flip at the state level helps weaken that federal structure and stops extremist policies from taking root in Michigan. In District 66, unseating just one more far-right legislator can make a difference. Josh Schriver has proudly called himself the “most conservative” and has vowed loyalty to Trump. That loyalty is not to the people of our district, and it is certainly not to the values that make Michigan strong. Removing one more voice that works against the people and replacing it with someone committed to working for them is how we protect our state.
The reality is that corporate influence has flooded our political system, especially since the Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited outside spending. In 2008 outside political spending totaled around five hundred million dollars. By 2024 it had exploded to over four and a half billion. Lawmakers at the federal level are too often bought and sold to the highest bidder, and legislation has become a commodity traded for profit regardless of its impact on the people. Oakland County and Macomb County are not immune to any of this. Even households that can technically handle the rising costs still feel the impact because the loss of quality, stability, and fairness touches everyone. The truth is we are all being squeezed from every direction. Higher prices, more taxes, stagnant wages, and politicians who are missing in action when it comes to the everyday struggles of their constituents. I am tired of the political theater. I am tired of culture war narratives meant to divide us and distract from the fact that prices are rising, our healthcare system is broken, our schools are some of the worst in the country, the wealth gap is widening, and corporate profits are soaring while we carry the burden. I am running to bring a voice anchored in the values of working class Michigan. I believe in common sense leadership that focuses on real problems like the cost of living, healthcare, housing, education, and defending our state from overreach that would strip away our rights. I know one person cannot change everything, but I also know that someone has to start. Someone has to step up and fight for representation that serves people instead of money.